Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government when each individual director of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) board, as at 1 February, was first made aware that theFRC had been designated as a public body in 2004; on whatdate each director was appointed; and whether theywill place copies of each of their letters of appointment in the Library of the House.

lord henley: The details of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) board appointments are published on the FRC website. The board members as at 01 February 2018 were:Sir Winfried Bischoff, appointed 01 April 2014Gay Huey Evans, appointed 01 April 2012Stephen Haddrill, appointed 16 November 2009Paul George, appointed 02 July 2012Melanie McLaren, appointed 02 July 2012David Childs, appointed 01 May 2014Paul Druckman, appointed 01 January 2017Nick Land, appointed 01 April 2011Olivia Dickson, appointed 02 July 2012Mark Zinkula, appointed 01 April 2017Mark Armour, appointed 02 July 2012Sir Brian Bender KCB, appointed 01 March 2014John Coomber, appointed 23 July 2015Roger Marshall, appointed 01 November 2010Keith Skeoch, appointed 01 March 2012 The terms on which board members are appointed can also be found on the FRC’s website and are also attached.   The directors were made aware of the FRC’s classification as a public body and reclassification requests, if applicable, when they were appointed.



FRC Non-Executive Board Member Terms of Appointmen
(PDF Document, 148.03 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Human Rights

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister discussed concerns over freedom and human rights in Hong Kong during her meeting with President Xi Jinping on 1 February.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister discussed Hong Kong with both Premier Li and President Xi during her recent visit to China. She stressed the UK's ongoing commitment to the successful implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems', and stressed that human rights and individual freedoms should be fully respected.

Turkey: Syria

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of TurkeyaboutTurkey's Operation Olive Branch in Afrin.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are closely following developments in Afrin in north-western Syria, and the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are in regular contact with their Turkish counterparts. We have called for de-escalation and the protection of civilians. While recognising Turkey’s legitimate interest in the security of its borders, it remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region, and secures the enduring defeat of Daesh.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have offered to the coalition government in Tunisia to help implement the new constitution and to ensure that Tunisia’s transition to democracy continues.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: This financial year, we are supporting Tunisia with £10 million of programme funding. Our projects include support for the drafting of legislation that strengthens the rule of law, access to justice and the foundations for the creation of democratic and judicial institutions; the government of Tunisia's drive to tackle corruption by improving the governance of public bodies; and the effectiveness of Tunisia's Parliament. In our contacts with Tunisian Ministers and officials, we have consistently underlined the importance of Tunisia's first municipal elections in May this year, of progress in the establishment of the Constitutional Court and other independent bodies, and of the rights guaranteed by the Tunisian Constitution.

Gaza: Islamic State

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which Islamic State groups and adherents are fuelling instability in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned about reports of a rise in the number of Salafi groups in Gaza that sympathise or self-identify with Daesh. However, we understand these groups have a small support base. This highlights the urgent need for all relevant parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza, restores security under the Palestinian Authority, and reduces the risk of radicalisation.

Afghanistan: Islamic State

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent number of attacks carried out by Islamic State in Kabul; and what is the impact of those attacks on their overall strategy for Afghanistan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In December 2017 and January 2018 the Daesh affiliate in Afghanistan, Daesh Khorasan Province, has claimed five attacks in Kabul and one in Jalalabad, in total killing over 70 people.The British Government condemns in the strongest possible terms all forms of terrorism, including the recent attacks claimed by Daesh.The UK remains committed to working with the Government of Afghanistan and our international partners to bring peace, security and prosperity to its people. The UK military, working with NATO allies as part of Resolute Support Mission, will continue to focus its support on the ongoing development and capacity-building of the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces (ANDSF) who respond with courage and professionalism in the face of these attacks.A political and diplomatic solution to the conflict is the only way to achieve lasting stability in Afghanistan and the wider region, and to make the UK safer through dismantling global terrorist networks. The UK strongly supports the efforts made towards this goal by the Government of Afghanistan and looks forward to further discussions at the next meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation. The UK will continue to advocate the need for a clear political process towards peace.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the failure of the political parties in Northern Ireland to reach an agreement on the restoration of a devolved administration, what assessment they have made of the introduction of direct rule for Northern Ireland.

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what point in the discussions in Northern Ireland on the restoration of a devolvedadministration they will introduce direct rule from Westminster.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government’s focus now is on the re-establishment of inclusive devolved government in Northern Ireland. This is clearly in line with what the people of Northern Ireland voted for in the Assembly elections in March 2017. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been clear that if we do not see resolution shortly the UK Government will need to take some tough decisions in the coming months. This would include, but not be limited to, setting a budget in Northern Ireland, responding to the Reaney recommendations on MLA pay, considering the prospect of a further election and ultimately other arrangements.

Northern Ireland Government

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of a victim for the purpose of legacy issues arising out of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

lord duncan of springbank: The definition of a victim is laid down in legislation (Victims and Survivors (NI) Order 2006) which is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Northern Ireland Government

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of an amnesty for crimes committed during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government has repeatedly made clear that we remain committed to the implementation of the legacy institutions in the Stormont House Agreement which provide the best way to address Northern Ireland’s past in a way that is fair, balanced and proportionate. This Government has always held the view that amnesties are not the right approach and believes that justice should be pursued but acknowledges that others have different views on the best way forward. We have a duty to victims and survivors to come forward with proposals to address the legacy of the past. The Government believes that the next phase is to consult publicly. A public consultation would provide everyone with an interest the opportunity to see the proposals and contribute to the discussion on the issues.

Department of Health and Social Care

Drugs: Misuse

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to convene anadvisory panel to develop substance misuse guidance, focused specifically on older adults; and what lessons they have learned from the Welsh Government regarding the benefits of such a panel.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has a statutory duty to monitor drug misuse in the United Kingdom and provide advice to Government on measures to address this. The Government has no plans to convene a separate advisory panel to develop substance misuse guidance focused specifically on older adults. In 2017, Public Health England updated clinical guidelines for clinicians treating people with drug use problems, which contains a section addressing the importance of preventing and treating drug use problems in older people. The guidelines were developed by an expert group and are kept under regular review. A copy of Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.The Government has not held discussions with the Welsh Government specifically on the benefits of its advisory panel on substance misuse.



Drug misuse and dependence UK guidelines
(PDF Document, 2.25 MB)

Department for International Development

Burma: Rohingya

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of (1) the living and health conditions of the 800,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, especially children; (2) the level of international cooperation in efforts to assist those refugees; and (3) the preparations to mitigate the impact on those refugees of the approaching monsoon.

lord bates: Living conditions remain challenging due to overcrowding in camps, but my department is working to improve them. We are ensuring better healthcare for refugees - particularly for vulnerable groups including children. The UK has worked with the international community on the humanitarian response plan (HRP) agreed with the international community in September 2017. My department has been working on preparedness measures for the monsoon and cyclone season in Bangladesh since December, working with several other agencies. UK aid has ensured existing shelters of around 158,000 people in camps and host communities most at risk will be upgraded to better withstand severe weather

Department for Education

Children in Care

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children were taken into care in each of the last three years, because of the destitution of their parents or carers; and in how many such cases the parents or carers were (1) asylum applicants, and (2) rejected asylum applicants.

viscount younger of leckie: The numbers of children who started to be looked after with a category of need of ‘Low income’ in each of the last three years can be found in the table below: Children who started to be looked after during the years ending 31 March with a category of need of ‘low income’[1][2][3][4]Years ending 31 March 2015 to 2017Coverage: England  201520162017Low income907050Source: SSDA 903 This information and related figures can be found in the attached Table C1, which is part of the national statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017’. Information regarding the asylum status of a parent of a child looked after is not held centrally.  [1] Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.[2] Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted.[3] Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.[4] The main category of the eight “need codes” at the time the child started to be looked after rather than necessarily the entire reason they are looked after.



Table C1 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 597.48 KB)

Respite Care: Children

baroness bertin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms they have in place to ensure that local authorities meet their statutory duty to provide short breaks for the carers of disabled children.

viscount younger of leckie: Since 2011, local authorities have been under a duty to provide a range of short breaks services. This requires them to consult upon and publish a short breaks duty statement. This should set out what is available locally, how to access these services, and any eligibility criteria. To support this, the department made £800 million available in grants between April 2011 and March 2015, plus £80 million of capital funding to support new projects. The department offers support and challenge to help ensure local authorities meet their statutory requirements on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department has funded innovative grants that promote best practice for delivering services; and continues to consider how we can best support local authorities who are working to deliver sustainable short breaks provision. The government is able to oversee how much local authorities have planned to spend on short breaks provision through authorities’ annual section 251 returns. This information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/section-251-2016-to-2017 (see attached). Departmental surveys such as the Children’s Services Omnibus gather information on SEND services provided by local authorities, including short breaks. There are also opportunities through the new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission SEND inspection frameworks for local areas to consider how well they are providing for the education, health and care needs of those with SEND. This includes their need for short breaks services. A thematic ‘one year on’ report published by the two inspectorates in October 2017 found that ‘children and young people who have SEND and their families typically had good access to high-quality short breaks’ (attached).



Attach 1
(PDF Document, 384.74 KB)




Attach 2
(PDF Document, 314.04 KB)

Private Education: Radicalism

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to subject those independent schools that are outside the ambit of the Independent Schools Council to more stringent and frequent inspection in order to counter teaching of extremist views.

lord agnew of oulton: Independent schools that are not under the membership of an association belonging to the Independent Schools Council are either inspected by Ofsted or the School Inspection Service. In either case, schools are inspected at least every three years against the Independent School Standards.There are no plans at present to increase the frequency of inspection, although the department is able to commission inspections of independent schools where there are concerns that the standards may not be met. The standards were strengthened significantly in 2014 and 2015 to include more stringent requirements to prevent extremism, including the requirement that schools must actively promote the fundamental British values. A summary of these changes, entitled ‘Revised independent school standards’, is attached. It is important that all schools are inspected rigorously against these standards.



Revised independent school standards
(Word Document, 42.31 KB)

Out-of-school Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 6 February (HL Deb, col 1910), why89 schools that have been identified as unregistered are continuing to operate.

lord agnew of oulton: Between January 2016 and August 2017, with additional funding from the department, Ofsted visited 125 suspected unregistered schools. Of those visited, inspectors determined that 38 of those were operating as schools; the other 87 were found not to be operating as schools. As at August 2017, 34 of the 38 have closed or amended their operation so that it complies with the law.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

lord blencathra: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  in the light of the resolutions on Restoration and Renewal passed by both Houses, what are the likely next steps; and what will be the mechanism for Peers to submit suggestions and ideas.

lord mcfall of alcluith: Both Houses have decided that the next steps of the Restoration & Renewal Programme should be overseen by a Sponsor Board and Delivery Authority. It is expected that the Commission of each House will therefore immediately focus on establishing those bodies in shadow form. Until the shadow Sponsor Board has been appointed, the Programme will continue to be delivered under the governance of the bicameral Programme Board, which consists of officials from both Houses plus two external members, and acts with authority delegated from the Board and Accounting Officer of each House. Establishing both bodies in substantive form will require primary legislation.The Programme Team, supported by its client advisory services consultants, CH2M and BDP, will continue work in the following areas:further investigation and documentation of the current physical condition of the Palace of Westminster and its building services;further studies on the feasibility of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre as temporary accommodation for the House of Lords;design of Richmond House as temporary accommodation for the House of Commons, which is being taken forward as part of the Commons’ Northern Estate Programme;development of a client brief for the design of the works to the Palace of Westminster;the development of the required Outline Business Cases (OBCs), compliant with HM Treasury’s Green Book; anda further round of medium-term mechanical and electrical, public health and conservation work to mitigate the operational risks to Parliament presented by the condition of the building between now and the commencement of the construction phase of the R&R Programme.The design phase will require extensive consultation with Members of both Houses, as well as a wide range of other stakeholders including staff, third-party occupants of the Parliamentary Estate, visitors and other members of society throughout the United Kingdom. It is anticipated that this engagement work will be developed and taken forward by the shadow Sponsor Board once it is established later this year.In the meantime, members of the Programme Team would be happy to receive suggestions and ideas from Members of both Houses. They can be contacted via restorationandrenewal@parliament.uk.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Disability

baroness bertin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to introduce mandatory reporting on the number of disabled people employed by (1) public bodies, and (2) private companies.

baroness buscombe: As announced in Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability, we want to see increased reporting on mental health, wellbeing and disability employment by large employers in both the public and private sector, agreeing in principle with the recommendation in the independent review “Thriving at Work”. Government is working with partners to establish a framework approach for voluntary reporting on mental health and disability for large employers. This is focussed on what type of reporting will support improved employment outcomes amongst disabled people, and businesses’ engagement in health and wellbeing. The Office for National statistics publishes data on Civil Service employment by disability status and employment grade.

Motability

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the grade of the official in the Department of Work and Pensions who has regular contact with the charity Motability in connection with the supply of motor vehicles leased using a social security benefit as payment.

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the level of financial contribution, over and above individual social security benefits,that the Department for Work and Pensions pays to the charity Motability in respect of motor vehicles which require extra modification in respect of the disabled user.

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Work and Pensions Accounting Officer last met the trustees of the charity Motability in respect of the financial arrangement operating between the Department and thatcharity for the supply of vehicles leased using a social security benefit as payment.

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government when a minister last had discussions with (1) the charity Motability, and (2) the trading arm Motability Operations plc, in respect of the supply of vehicles to people eligible to lease vehicles using a social security benefit as payment.

baroness buscombe: When an eligible claimant elects to join the Motability Scheme the Department facilitates the transfer of their benefit payment to Motability. The Department makes no financial contributions to the Motability charity or Motability Operations and the Accounting Officer would not, therefore routinely meet the trustees of the charity Motability. In order to ensure eligible claimants receive an appropriate level of support, and to suggest ways to improve the support provided by Motability, senior civil servants have regular contact with the charity Motability. The Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work had an introductory meeting with the Chairman of Motability in January 2018. Ministers do not routinely engage directly with Motability Operations, as this is an independent company, which Motability oversees.

Housing Benefit

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what wasthe average amount of housing benefit provided per dwelling for (1) council housing, (2) housing association properties, and (3) privately rented properties, in England and Wales for each year since 2010.

baroness buscombe: The available information is shown in the table below. Table 1: Annual average award amount for Housing Benefit by detailed housing type in England and Wales, August 2010 to August 2017 £ Detailed Housing Type Aug-10Aug-11Aug-12Aug-13Aug-14Aug-15Aug-16Aug-17England  LA tenant (SRS)69.2073.1278.2479.5883.3686.1286.2985.27Registered social landlord tenant (SRS)79.4082.5287.7889.0093.2795.9496.9897.18Private regulated tenant (PRS)78.6281.6085.4489.2693.1596.0599.64103.79Private deregulated tenant (LHA) (PRS)116.60115.74110.01109.06110.66112.55113.98114.28Private deregulated tenant (non-LHA) (PRS)106.76106.20107.05107.20108.81110.75113.96117.63Wales  LA tenant (SRS)61.3764.7467.5267.5269.8172.8375.0477.26Registered social landlord tenant (SRS)69.7472.1076.1676.6980.2583.2085.0587.33Private regulated tenant (PRS)56.4157.5258.4760.4062.8664.2065.6367.54Private deregulated tenant (LHA) (PRS)86.4085.0681.4480.5180.4681.1881.0380.15Private deregulated tenant (non-LHA) (PRS)76.5776.5676.7676.4877.8279.6981.2382.44

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Non-native Species

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent in the 2016–17 financial year on biosecurity measures relating to invasive non-native species, broken down by (1) policy functions, (2) inspectorate functions, (3) technical support functions, for example, risk assessments and diagnostics, (4) response functions, including control activities, and (5) research.

lord gardiner of kimble: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 06 February 2018.The correct answer should have been:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) spent £3.8m on invasive non-native species in 2016/17 including both direct costs and apportioned support staff and overheads. APHA do not keep the split as requested but can further subdivide the cost between direct costs (£2.2m) and apportioned support staff and overheads (£1.6m). Biosecurity and control of invasive non-native species are devolved matters. In England in 2016/17 the government spent an estimated total of £922,000 on biosecurity measures relating to invasive non-native species. The overall cost can be apportioned as £145,000 for policy functions, £90,000 on risk analysis, £335,000 for early warning and rapid response measures, £210,000 on coordination, £80,000 on communication and awareness raising activities, and £62,000 on research.

lord gardiner of kimble: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) spent £3.8m on invasive non-native species in 2016/17 including both direct costs and apportioned support staff and overheads. APHA do not keep the split as requested but can further subdivide the cost between direct costs (£2.2m) and apportioned support staff and overheads (£1.6m). Biosecurity and control of invasive non-native species are devolved matters. In England in 2016/17 the government spent an estimated total of £922,000 on biosecurity measures relating to invasive non-native species. The overall cost can be apportioned as £145,000 for policy functions, £90,000 on risk analysis, £335,000 for early warning and rapid response measures, £210,000 on coordination, £80,000 on communication and awareness raising activities, and £62,000 on research.

Environment Protection: Standards

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that environmental standards are maintained after Brexit; and if so, how.

lord gardiner of kimble: The EU Withdrawal Bill will ensure the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law. We will launch a consultation in early 2018 on establishing a new, world-leading, independent, statutory body to hold government to account on environmental legislation as we leave the European Union. Our starting point is that the environmental body should cover England and environmental matters that are not devolved. We are exploring with the devolved administrations whether they wish to take a different or similar approach. We will also continue to uphold our international obligations through our multilateral environmental agreements.

Air Pollution

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in formulating a new nationwide clean air planthat reduces emissions from all sources.

lord gardiner of kimble: Good progress is being made as we continue to develop policy for the Clean Air Strategy which will be published for consultation this year.

Cabinet Office

Thames Tideway Tunnel

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what criteria the Infrastructure and Project Authority concluded that the Thames Tideway Tunnel no longer requires its oversight and reporting.

lord young of cookham: The Thames Tideway Tunnel is not a Government project and would therefore not normally be subject to IPA oversight and monitoring. However, given the scale and nature of the project, it was decided that IPA would provide oversight and assurance for the set-up of the project.The IPA confirmed that the conditions were right to return the project to DEFRA assurance through a Project Assessment Review in May 2016 and formally returned responsibility in 2017. This was only done once IPA were content that DEFRA had strong and appropriate assurance in place to ensure HMG’s interests were protected, and was documented through an exchange of letters between the CEO of the IPA and the DEFRA Accounting Officer.Although no longer on the Government major projects portfolio, DEFRA and IPA continue to work closely together on the project.

Immigration: Statistics

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to remarks made by the Prime Minister during her trip to China,whether they plan to remove students from immigration figures; and if so, when.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 129.87 KB)

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: China

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was (1) the number, and (2) the potential value, of commercial deals concluded between UK companies and Chinese concerns in the course of the Prime Minister’s recent trade promotion visit to China that were the subject of (a) definitive commitments by the government of China, and (b) memoranda of understanding or similar non-binding declarations of intention.

baroness fairhead: During the Prime Minister’s visit to China, commercial deals worth over £9.8bn were announced, with at least 2600 jobs created. Of these deals, the vast majority were between UK and Chinese companies and did not require commitments from the Chinese Government.Commercial Memoranda of Understanding involving Chinese Government bodies were signed between: Canary Wharf Group, Bank of China and the Xiong’An Government (through its subsidiary Xiong’An Construction Investment Group) for a ‘Financial and Technology City Project’ in Xiongan New Area; China Development Bank and Standard Chartered Bank on a 10 billion RMB or equivalent Belt and Road Initiative Loan; National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education and the Hubei Department of Education.

Overseas Trade: China

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impediments, if any, to conducting trade with China were identified in the course of the Prime Minister’s recent trade promotion visit to China as being caused by the UK’s current membership of the EU.

baroness fairhead: The Prime Minister on her recent trip to China led a 50-strong business delegation spanning the UK's key sectors, and clinched over £9bn in commercial deals which will create 2,600 jobs for the British economy. Our exit from the European Union offers an unprecedented opportunity to reshape our independent trading ambitions and build on our already strong trading relationships with countries such as China.Following the launch of the UK-China trade review during the PM's visit, this department and our counterparts in China will look to identify areas where we can build stronger trade links now, as well as prepare for future trade agreements with China better suited to the interests of both countries, as well as preparing for any future trade agreements with China, once we have left the EU.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Museums and Galleries

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to government-sponsored galleries regarding the disclosure of information on the operation and activities of any private commercial entities run by these galleries.

lord ashton of hyde: Most DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries have trading companies involved with elements of their work. They report on this work through their annual reports. Their management is an operational matter and DCMS does not provide any guidance on information disclosures.